Ten years ago, Akosua Afriyie Kumi returned to Ghana with one goal: to create something that felt true to who she was. She had studied fashion design at Kingston University in London, gained experience in the industry, and saw how fast-paced fashion often left no room for community or culture. Her time abroad gave her perspective, but her return to Ghana shaped her purpose. That path became AAKS ; a slow fashion brand built from raffia, time, and intention.
Today, AAKS by Akosua Afriyie Kumi is one of Ghana’s most globally recognized fashion brands, known for its handwoven bags, mats, fans, and baskets. Every piece is made in Ghana using traditional weaving techniques, and no two items are exactly the same.
Since 2015, Akosua has worked closely with women artisans to produce bags that speak of home while meeting the standards of a global fashion market. The process takes time; each bag takes up to 10 to 14 days to complete, and nothing is rushed. But that pace is part of the brand’s ethos. AAKS values sustainability and craftsmanship over trends, focusing on pieces designed to last.
As mentioned earlier, Raffia is at the center of everything AAKS does. It’s soft, strong, and holds color well, with Its smooth texture making it perfect for weaving. At the time Akosua started, raffia bags were not widely associated with high fashion. However, she wanted to change the narrative. Thus, she worked closely with weavers in Bolgatanga, learning local techniques and adjusting designs to match her vision.
For Akosua, it’s also about where the raffia comes from. The brand sources its fibers from small family farms, keeping the process close to the land and the people who work it. This approach is part of AAKS’s long-term focus on sustainability; choosing materials and methods that respect the environment and preserve tradition.
Every bag comes with a small signature tag, a way to show that the piece is authentic. The inside is lined with linen or cotton, and the bags are finished with leather. There is no mass production. The work is slow and deliberate. And that’s the point. A A K S stands for a slower approach to fashion; one that values process, people, and place.
Though AAKS is best known for its bags, like the Oroo Tote, Baw Pot, Lisi Stripe, Tia Grande, and Scallop Tote, the brand has been steadily expanding. Akosua and her team have created mats for boutique hotels and home stores in France.
They have also collaborated with lifestyle brands like MAAR Living to design custom baskets, and produced colorful woven fans and baskets that bring a playful edge to their collection.
Over the past ten years, Akosua has grown A A K S from a personal idea into a global name. Today, the brand is stocked in over 60 stores worldwide, including Bloomingdale’s, Anthropologie, John Lewis, Madewell, MoMA Design Store, and Royal Academy of Arts. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Marie Claire Magazine, Elle Decoration, The Guardian UK, CNN, The Times, Forbes Woman Africa, and The Economist.
In Australia, AAKS bags are now available at the National Gallery of Victoria, one of the country’s most visited museums. The Baw Pot Natural Bag is currently displayed as part of the gallery’s fashion collection and available in their museum store.
And perhaps one of the most defining moments came in 2024, when AAKS was featured on the cover of Africa’s Fashion Diaspora, a new book published by Yale University Press alongside the Africa’s Fashion Diaspora exhibition at the Museum at FIT in New York. The exhibition ran from September to December 2024 and celebrated designers from Africa and the diaspora, with AAKS right at the center of the story.
Even with the international recognition, Akosua remains closely involved with her team in Ghana. She oversees every step of production, from the first sketches to the finished bag.
Her brand’s focus on ethical fashion is not a marketing tool. It is built into how she works. Right from material sourcing to who makes the bags, she pays attention to the full cycle. The brand also provides the Bolgatanga weavers with regular income, tools, and design support; work that values their skills.
As AAKS celebrates a decade of artistry and impact, Akosua Afriyie-Kumi remains as grounded and vibrant as the colorful threads she weaves into every bag. A creative spirit at heart, she traded the grey skies of London—where she studied fashion design at Kingston University—for the endless sun of Ghana, a move she describes as both liberating and deeply inspiring.
When she’s not working with her team of women artisans to preserve traditional basket weaving techniques, you’ll find her surrounded by bougainvillea and orchids in her garden, sipping on fresh mango juice, or enjoying her favorite local dish—beans stew with fried plantain.
Still about honouring where she comes from. And still about showing that something made in Ghana: with care, skill, and intention; belongs anywhere in the world.
